"If you are processing Arista.EDU 100 roll film on reels, you should not be having this problem."

And: "Film can be damaged by surface water removal (wiping the film before drying). If this is the case, emulsion hardening may help. An alternative is to use photo-flo (or equivalent) in distilled water for the final rinse and eliminate the wiping."

"If you are processing Arista.EDU 100 roll film on reels, you should not be having this problem."

And: "Film can be damaged by surface water removal (wiping the film before drying). If this is the case, emulsion hardening may help. An alternative is to use photo-flo (or equivalent) in distilled water for the final rinse and eliminate the wiping."

Thanks for the feedback everyone.

1. Yeah, I'm processing the film on reels. As far as I can tell, the damage isn't occuring during the processing, but instead when I look at my negatives (emulsion side down) on my light box. Viewing my unsleeved negs on my light box is part of my normal routine, and I have never noticed damage to them before (when the negs were fixed by a conventional fixer). Oh, and the damaged negatives were totally dry when I examined them on my light box -- they had been hanging in my bathroom for around twelve hours.

2. I use photo-flo and distilled water for my final rinse. I don't wipe the film before drying at all. No water spots so far, knock on wood.

For the sake of convenience and a non-chemically-stinky bathroom, I think that I'm just going to continue with the TF-4 and just avoid handling my negatives AT ALL when they're unsleeved. I just hope that they don't get scratches when I'm pulling them into and out of sleeves and negative carriers when I'm printing! I also might try a more modern film that incorporates its own hardening agent, but it's hard to beat $1.29/roll for the Arista. :-)